Last Friday I spotted a job add in the paper for bar/coffee/waitperson in an Italian restaurant. Having completed an apprenticeship in food & drink service in the UK last year & gaining my level 2 I thought I'd apply so rang the number. I asked if I could be told more about the position & the guy said 'yes, can you come in on Sunday from 6-8pm & do a trial shift?' which I said I could & other than asking my name & how old I was that was the end of the conversation.

So last Sunday I go in & do a 2 hour shift - for free! On arrival he takes my resume from me but other than telling me how the table numbers are laid out that is it. At the end of the shift I went to see him before I left & he said he'd ring Monday or Tuesday to possibly get me in again this weekend & if he didn't ring I was to make sure I rang him.

Monday & Tuesday go past with no phone call so on Wednesday I ring him. After checking my name he tells me they'd already sorted out the rotas for this week but to come in on Friday at 7pm & he'd probably have me in on Saturday as well. I asked how long the shift would be on Friday & also said that although I could probably do this Saturday I wouldn't be able to do most Saturdays. He said he'd discuss it with me on Friday but still nothing said about wages.

This evening I turn up promptly (well 5 minutes early actually). He says nice to see you again & where's the apron I gave you last week? He never gave me an apron as I was only on a trial. I'm then told I'd be working the bar, fair enough but I don't yet have my RSA yet which I told him. He said he wasn't worried about that but for the evening I could run the drinks to the tables. His wife gets me to fill in a time card as I don't have a password to log in to the tills. I still haven't been told nothing about my hours or how much I will be getting paid & the time card is in Chinese

So I run drinks to the tables. I clear plates as I see them & reset tables as people leave as best I can although as I'm not sure where everything is by the time I've found what I need someone else has finished the job for me. The restaurant wasn't overly busy & as I didn't really know what I was meant to be doing (hadn't been shown how to take orders, use tills, etc) I'm looking a bit like a spare part at times, especially with about 7 other waiters/waitresses in there.

After half an hour he walks over to me, tells me to take the apron off & that I can leave as I'm obviously not interested in learning the job

I was gobsmacked to say the least. I picked up my bag & went to find him out the front of the restaurant. I said I'm sorry I don't quite understand, what do you expect on my first shift. To which he said goodbye without even looking at me, turn his back & walked away :curse:

In hindsight I wish I'd followed him back in to the restaurant & kicked up whilst he was greeting the customers than had just arrived but I was so taken aback by it all I walked away & phoned hubby in floods of tears.

A friend did say earlier that they have a high turn over of staff there & hubby has said several times that the whole thing sounded a bit odd from the start & was a bit concerned about me going in this evening & not knowing how much, if anything I'd get paid.

In the UK I worked for 2 years at The Sculpture Gallery at Woburn Abbey which if any one knows it is a posh, expensive, high class wedding venue. I also worked across the estate in the hotel, golf club & at the safari park. So I guess I don't need to worry about the opinion of some rude arrogant restaurant owner & I need to put this one down to experience & try not to let it knock my confidence.

Is it normal over here to have a trail run first? I just hope he doesn't do the same to the next person that applies! I have to say I am very tempted to ring up & make a fake large group booking for one of his busy nights

Alison x

Hell's teeth, that's a terrible story. I've never worked in hospitality here, but I have friends who do and I've never heard of such a thing. I'd try reporting him to someone on here: http://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/LabourRelations/. Do you have any records of his calls to you, on a mobile or something? It's unlikely that anyone else working there will back you up. That wasn't a good introduction to working in Perth and I hope that it doesn't put you off having another try.

Contact " Today tonight" program and expose the prick for what he his worth , makes their eyes water........mm

Sounds like a right t****r!

I was once asked to do a trial here for hairdressing when I first arrived I refused, I had gave them my CV with references from past employers I just told them I have x amount of yrs experience I don't work for free.

Another time I turned up for an interview and I was asked to take a seat, while I sat there I was horrified at how they were running things so I made an excuse that I had forgot to lock my car, once I got out of there I drove off as fast as I could

My cousin had similar experiences when my family moved over there a few years back.

Apparently, quite a few restaurants get you in for "trial shifts" and then never call you. Basically a way of getting free labour for the evening. Two jobs she applied for did the same thing, at when she mentioned it to some of her friends at uni, they said that it happens quite a bit in that industry.

Definitely worth contacting Today Tonight, they'll report on anything they will.

Trials here in hospitality are the norm here and unpaid.Where I work we get people in for an hours trial.While we dont pay them we do send them home with some food as a thank you.You also have a certain amount of time where you can serve alcohol before you get your rsa.However if you do want to work in hospitality you will have a better chance if you already have your rsa.The owner does sound like a fool.But he wont care.He will have a stack of cvs to choose from and I imagine it will be a case of easy come,easy go.Im sorry that you had a bad experience but it doesnt surprise me.

Btw I could even guess which restaurant you are on about but Im not going to say the name on Be

If unpaid trials are normal in Perth, I'm not surprised that staff are difficult to find and keep, especially in strong economic conditions. Surely applicants should at least be told that they are expected to work an unpaid trial shift?

For sure they should be told,but not everyone does it.I went for a few trials and knew I wouldnt be paid.One place even asked me to stay an extra hour while they went to a funeral.I did stay but I knew I didnt want to work there.As I said employers arent overly bothered because some one else will always come along,especially in the high tourist areas.In my opinion hospitality are treated terribly here in lots of places.I like to hope and think that I treat my staff well.

Without naming names (although not sure why not) it's in Joondalup near the sex shops

Alison x

Yep,in fact I was there last week and I could see the owner and he was following the staff around. I was thankful that I didnt work for him.You are best out of there.

Trial runs normal In Perth ????

I am NOT in Perth, but we have employed 100's of people in Queensland and Victoria and NO WAY can an employer get you to do a free trial run.

First of all, the legal liability issue, workplace healh and safety issue, insurance issue ......

Not to mention the pay.

Ring the dick up, tell him you injured yourself while working at his business

We cant even have volunteers in our workplace without insurance etc.

Working for free is a scam, illegal, free labour, next week go past and another 'trial' will be going on.

Classy!

Joondalup and sex shops. The mind boggles.

joondalup sound like a sex shop item.

Sounds like maybe someone called in sick the first night, and he needed help. Noone works for free, and training is paid here. I cant imagine its different there, but who knows..